The Greens in 2021: Ready for Government?

In this webinar presented in partnership with the Aston Centre for Europe at Aston University, the International Association for the Study of German Politics and the BMW Center for German and European Studies, Georgetown University, Niko Switek, Jon Worth, and Carolyn Rowe examine the trends in the Greens’ popularity, their newly released party platform, and prospects for governing after the 2021 Bundestag election.

Despite a lackluster federal election result in 2017, the Greens have been riding high in public opinion polling ever since, hovering around the 20 percent mark. This has made them the second-placed party, perhaps even supplanting the venerable SPD as the main force on the center-left. In fact, it is almost the consensus view that they will go into government with the CDU/CSU after the September election. But, after 16 years out of power, are the Greens ready to govern? Are the pragmatic “realos” dominant enough within the party to negotiate with the Union and to keep the more radical “fundi” faction in check? In light of some recent evidence of slippage in the polls and several campaign missteps, will they even be strong enough to be the junior coalition partner?

This webinar is supported by the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is presented in partnership with The Aston Centre for Europe, Aston University, Birmingham, UK; the International Association for the Study of German Politics; and the BMW Center for German and European Studies, Georgetown University.